I'm backing the underdog Missouri State Bears to get the better of WKU to start our Thursday CFB parlay. Western Kentucky have already suffered some devastating defeats, not only to Power 4 teams, but also 20+ point defeats to Nevada and New Mexico State. Missouri State looks to be catching Western Kentucky at the right time and should take advantage.
Next, I'm going with Sam Houston State to keep within two touchdowns against Liberty. The Flames have been red hot, but Sam Houston will be well rested after a bye last week and can make that count after Liberty's trip to Delaware. The Bearkats have been solid on defense and should stymie the Liberty attack enough to keep this score respectable.
To wrap up our college football parlay for Thursday, I'm taking UTSA to beat USF. Both teams are 4-1 but the Roadrunners have been potent on offense, while South Florida has only just been getting by its opponents, with its attack stalling. Ultimately, I expect USF to struggle to keep up with UTSA's scoring, and that will be the hosts' path to victory.
While the spot isn't ideal for Iowa, coming off back-to-back games against Michigan and Ohio State while having to travel out west on short rest, the Huskies aren't trustworthy agains the number. Plus, I don't think it's the best spot for them, either. The Huskies held a lead at halftime in southern California last week, just to score once in the second half against USC's porous defense. Iowa is top-25 in most key metrics on the defensive side, which means Washington will likely need more than Demond Williams' heroics to win by margin.
The Wyoming Cowboys are almost impossible to trust, specifically away from home -- where they have scored just 23 combined points across three games against Colorado State, Central Michigan and North Dakota State. Save last week's 28-0 loss to the Bison, that's not exactly a gauntlet when it comes to opposing defenses. Moreover, this team only beat FCS Northern Colorado 21-13, while being out-gained in the process. SJSU is the must better team and should win comfortably. For parlay purposes though, the ML probably the smarter play after their head-scratching home loss to Fresno a few weeks ago.
BYU will be without stud running back LJ Martin for a few weeks, putting a ton of pressure on the shoulders of QB Bear Bachmeier. He's capable, as is backup RB Journee Tonga, but covering a double-digit spread in conference play against your offensive focal point is a tough ask, especially against a team that's rolling with new-found confidence like Iowa State.
